Most on this forum have had the need to connect multiple platforms for file transfer, even if your network is just a hobby connection in a basement. For years, I jacked with NFS, SMB, appletalk and so forth, then Dropbox came along and made it really easy. Unfortunately, any files between local systems with DB still has to go up the pipe to the 'worl' and back, and on a 1mb connecton, that can take days if you drop the wrong file.

I have been trying Bit Torrent Sync Beta for several weeks and it works well, and really fast, since it (usually) stays on the local network. I use a Raspberry pi with a 16gb flash drive for the always on 'server' to cache files if everything else is asleep.

So far, with the Pi, a Macbook Air, a MacMini, a Shuttle with Debian and my big Linux 8 core hog, the connections have been flawless. And 1 gb files are no problem at ethernet and wifi speeds. I have to be careful with large files, and that the laptop has synced before I leave home, otherwise when I get to Starbucks (or wherever) I will find that the home network is trying to push it out to me over the 'Net, sucking up everybody's bandwidth.

Installation on OSX is dead simple, on Linux it is easy, but you have to set up the the script if you want it on at boot, and on the Pi it takes a little more work, but is still just a cookbook approach. I haven't tried it with that other OS (I forget its name - from the Northwest US somewhere) but I have no reason to believe that BTS wouldn't work on it either.

What I find interesting, and a little bit scary, is that BTS can find my home synced folders from my traveling laptop, going through a DHCP isp address, an internal private 192.x.x.x network, a wireless router with another private address, and then to the DHCPed systems.

After I am satisfied that it works, I will probably move my Dropbox synced folders to the new utility.